


We Live for Tomorrow

by CranscottHasRuinedMe



Category: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types, DCU, DCU (Comics)
Genre: Death, F/M, Post-Apocalypse, Profanity, Undead, Violence, fair warning, might be lots of it, your favs will die
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-24
Updated: 2020-04-10
Packaged: 2021-02-28 21:28:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,204
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23294023
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CranscottHasRuinedMe/pseuds/CranscottHasRuinedMe
Summary: “The main element crucial for the survival of life is also a demon in disguise; it will snatch your life away as quickly as you were given it.” -Scott A. Butler.The world’s ended and the dead have risen, the only thing now is to survive long enough to see tomorrow.|Main Tim Drake x Reader||Various x Reader|
Relationships: Barbra Gordon/Reader, Cassandra Cain/Reader, Damian Wayne/Reader, Dick Grayson/Reader, Jason Todd/Reader, Stephanie Brown/Reader, Tim Drake/Reader
Comments: 15
Kudos: 50





	1. A Chance For Hope

You moved through the streets of Gotham, quietly and quickly so you wouldn’t attract any unwanted trouble. The streets were mostly deserted, only abandoned cars and buildings. It was eerily silent in the once busy city, something you weren’t yet used to since it all went to shit. Nor were you used to the scorching heat that came with the heavy pollution clearing up. But that was the least of your worries, a quiet day meant a good day in Gotham. And sunlight provided you with more time to scavenge for supplies to get through the week.

But it was getting harder to find supplies, it seemed like the city was pretty much empty. You had to look through every nook and cranny for a can of food or a bottle of water. You pulled your hood further over your head to keep out the sun and cover your face just in case. You entered a ransacked bodega, wincing at the bell that chimed above the door. You stood in your spot, listening for any movement inside the small store. When there was none, you proceeded inside, immediately noticing how empty it was.

To the average eye, it would’ve been useless to look for anything in here since it was empty. But you knew better, you knew there were spots that had gone unchecked. You looked through the shelves which were bare except the opened foods that panicked people had opened and left at the beginning of all of this. Perfectly good food left to spoil. You sighed as you continued looking, looking on the very bottom shelf since most people overlooked it. And sure enough, you found a few cans tucked away in the corner. You grinned and reached out for them, inspecting what they were. Three cans of spam, a goldmine if you said so yourself, today was going to be a good day.

Or so you thought until you heard the chime of a bell and heavy footsteps. Your heart dropped to the ground and so did you, hoping to god whoever it was saw the place was empty and left. They didn’t, instead their footsteps resonated throughout the vacant store. Your heart was pounding against your chest as you carefully crawled through the floor for the exit. You were going for the back, it was closer to you and less messy, you’d be out without them ever knowing you were there. But the back proved to be a dead end too when one of those things appeared in front of you. Guess the second chime alerted them of someone’s presence and it finally decided to come and play.

It noticed you and made a beeline for you, you tried to scramble up to your feet and leave. You were too slow as it pounced on you, making you scream loudly as you tried to fend it off. In your struggled to not get bitten, you heard rapid footsteps coming your way. You were definitely fucked now, if this thing didn’t get you then it’d be the person inside the bodega.

You heard a gunshot, the noise ringing loudly in your ears, and blood splattered on your face. You pushed the thing off of you and looked up at the guy above you. Both your savior and your killer depending on how the next few minutes went. He had on this metallic red mask completely covering his face so you couldn’t see who he was. He was wearing a brown biker jacket, an old t-shirt, jeans and boots that looked like they were meant construction site use. Maybe it was your angle but he was huge, towering over you at over six feet.

“Please, I don’t have much but take whatever you want,” You whimpered out.

“Jesus Christ, you’re just a kid,” He said.

“You’re not going to kill me?” You dumbly asked.

“And have that on my conscious, fuck no. Here,” He replied, stretching his hand out to help you out.

You stared at if for a few seconds before taking his hand, being easily pulled up by the very large man. “Th-Thanks.”

“You alright, any bites?” He asked, noticing how gentler his voice got.

“Yeah, thanks to you. I feel like I should repay you somehow.”

“Nah, don’t sweat it, just happened to be around. How old are you kid?”

“Sixteen.”

“Shit, are you in this all by yourself?”

“Pretty much. It’s easier that way, people tend to betray you once things start going south.”

“Yeah, you’re not wrong there but I can’t imagine how it must be. Sixteen and going through this shit all alone.”

“It’s not so bad, I mean I made it this far didn’t I.”

You gave him a smile, strained, but you hoped it was enough to show him you were okay. Although you had no idea since his face was covered by the mask. Silence engulfed the two of you and you weren’t sure what to do now. Should you just leave and carry on with your life.

“I’m Jason, Jason Todd,” He said stretching out his hand once again.

You took it in your own, noticing that he was wearing black leather gloves. It’s been so long since you shook someone else’s hand it felt so redundant now. But it also made you feel human again, it’s been a while since you felt like a person. “{Name}. Todd, like Bruce Wayne’s son?”

“Adopted, but yes.”

The chime of the door alerted you of another presence and you reached for your knife as Jason cocked his gun. “Jason, you in here? I heard a gunshot.” A voice called out.

“Yeah Dick, over here. We’re all good,” He replied, letting it known he wasn’t alone.

“We?” The guy named Dick asked, appearing in your line of sight.

You looked at the guy, noticing his relaxed yet alert posture which you didn’t blame. Just like Jason, he also had a mask, but it covered less of his face. It was dark blue domino mask that covered most of the upper half of his face but left his mouth visible. He was wearing a dark blue leather jacket, a black shirt, and dark jeans with a pair of black doc martens. Kind of stylish for the apocalypse, made you think they had a nice base somewhere. It was probably secured, making you hope they invited you to come with. But that was just a silly thought, you meant what you said about being better off alone. He was also holding escrima sticks as his choice of weapon, kind of dull for killing the undead.

Wait, if this was Jason Todd and he called him Dick, that meant it was Dick Grayson, another of Bruce Wayne’s kids. So you were definitely right, they did have a secure base somewhere. Probably Wayne Manor. Which made you wonder why they were in the city when they could probably be living comfortably at home.

“Who’s this?” Dick asked.

“This is {Name}, I saved her from one of those dead fuckers,” He replied, gesturing to the said dead fucker on the ground.

“Oh shit, you okay?” Dick looked over at you, slight concern in his voice.

“Yeah, thanks to Jason,” You replied. Although it was technically his fault you almost got eaten alive but you kept that part to yourself. “I should get going, got more scavenging to do. Uh, see you guys around, maybe?”

You grabbed your bag off the ground and put your hood up before walking off. It was better to leave now before anything else happened, beside who knows what that gunshot might attract. You were just at the door before you heard your name, the two guys just a few feet away. You turned around and looked at them, Jason with his mask off this time. It was kind of nice seeing that, it made you feel like he trusted you enough to see his face. What’s up with the masks anyway?

“Do you, maybe wanna come with us?” Dick asked.

You were left speechless, sure you had hoped to go with them but that was just a short, silly fantasy. You weren’t sure what to say, the promise of a safe place sounded to good to be true.

“You’d be safe with us. Our home is secured and pretty much away from all of this. This is no way for a kid to live,” Jason said.

“Don’t know if I’m considered a kid after all I’ve seen,” You replied, trying to make a joke. They both smiled but they weren’t ‘ha that was funny’ smiles more like sympathy smiles. Silence engulfed the three of you as they waited for your answer. “I would have to get my stuff.”

This time they grinned widely, glad to hear you were willing to come with them. “We can get it tomorrow. Right now we should just head back, who knows what that gunshot might attract.” Dick said.

“Right, okay, I’ll go with you guys then,” You agreed, letting hope blossom in your chest.

You walked out of the bodega, just in time as a few of the undead were starting to come around. You followed the two men as they led you to their vehicle, or rather motorcycles.

“Holy shit, you guys sure do know how to ride in style for the apocalypse,” You exclaimed, impressed by their rides.

“Hey, language,” Dick said, only to get smacked on they arm by Jason. “Sorry, force of habit.”

“Alright, c’mon get on,” Jason said, gesturing to his bike as he got on.

“Uh, is this safe, for me to ride without a helmet?” You asked as you got on.

“You can borrow mine,” He replied, handing you the red helmet.

You took it from him and were about to put it on when Dick stopped you. “Absolutely not Jason. You’re not riding without one.”

“You have an extra one?” He asked.

“Fair enough, but be careful,” Dick told him before placing on his own helmet.

“Always am, ma,” Jason joked.

You placed it on while Jason started the bike up, you expected it to be hot and stuffy but it was just the opposite. It was cool and refreshing, a nice change from this blistering heat. As you were enjoying the coolness the helmet provided, Jason took off, startling you. You yelped and wrapped your arms around his waist, holding on tight as he raced down the deserted streets.


	2. Wayne Manor

You stared in awe through the helmet as Jason pulled into a long stretched drive way. You had heard Wayne Manor was big but this wasn’t what you’d expected, it looked like downsized castle. You continued to marvel at the place as Jason came to a stop, it looked as if it had gone untouched from the apocalypse. It had yet to see the truth of your reality, all the death and despair that now came with this world. But again that was to be expected, it was Wayne Manor after all.

You took of the mask and hopped off the bike, still marveling at the house before you. The two boys noticed your staring and grinned at one another from your priceless reaction. It was nice to see a reaction like that, to know that others could still see the wonder of this dark world. Not to mention that you looked more comfortable now knowing you were somewhere safe compared to that bodega you were found at. You were much more tense back there, your shoulders were squared and up, and there was this high alertness that no kid should ever have. Although to you, that was normal at this point, there was no rest in the world of the undead.

“C’mon, let’s introduce you to everybody,” Dick said before walking off to the front door.

You followed behind him and Jason, your awe growing as you got closer, you’d never seen such large front doors. Dick took out his keys and unlocked the door, smart, you can never be to careful. He opened the door and stepped aside for you to go inside first. If you thought the outside was grand, the inside was even more beautiful. It was beautifully decorated, pieces of art hung on the wall of this vast hallway. There was furniture here and there, decorated in their own way. There were house plants in a few places, alive and thriving. There wasn’t even a spec of dust anywhere, this house hasn’t truly seen the outside world.

While you were busy gawking, Dick called out for everyone so they could come meet you. You took a step forward to continue investigating the gorgeous house. But as soon as your foot hit the ground you stopped, feeling something sharp against your neck. You glanced down to see a sword pointed against your throat and a child younger than you on the other end. He didn’t look older than twelve or thirteen, tan skinned, and a deep scowl on his face.

“Oh-Kay!” You squeaked out, throwing your hands up in surrender.

“Hey, easy there demon spawn, she’s with us,” Jason said, pushing the sword down to get him to lower it.

“Tch, bringing in strays are we?” He scoffed.

“Not a stray, a friend Dami,” Dick replied. “This is {Name}, and she’s going to stay with us.”

“For how long?” He asked.

“For however long she wants,” Jason answered.

“Are you insane, Todd? We don’t know anything about her. She may prove to be dangerous,” He argued.

You were about to speak, to try and ease the situation, not wanting to cause problems, but someone beat you to it. “That’s what we thought about you, and we still took you in.” A new voice said.

You looked over Damian to see another guy walking in, completely taking your breath away. He looked to be about your age, walking over to join your little entourage. And if you thought the house was beautiful, he was absolutely stunning. You looked him up and down, he was wearing red flannel shirt with a black shirt underneath, jeans and a pair of boots. Definitely comfortable which further proved your point that this place was on a whole different level of what was outside.

“Hey, I’m Tim,” He introduced, standing right behind Damian, crossing his arms but his posture remaining relaxed.

You cleared your throat as you tried to find the words to speak, hoping you weren’t making a fool of yourself. End of the world but you were still a teenager through and through. “Hi, I’m-I’m {Name}.” You said, sending him a little wave.

“What’s going on?” A deep gruff voice asked.

Right behind Tim and Damian was a man, the very man himself, Bruce Wayne along with an older gentleman. You tensed up and tried shrinking away, you’ve fought the undead but they didn’t seem as scary as Bruce Wayne standing in front of you. He was just so tall and buff, and he had this brooding look on his face. You almost wanted to be fighting against a hoard than be standing in front of him.

“Hey B, this is {Name}. We asked her to come stay with us. She’s just a kid and she’s going through all of this alone, we couldn’t leave her out there,” Dick explained.

“Alone or not, you can’t bring someone here without knowing who they are. Not after last time. We don’t know what kind of person she is or if she might be dangerous,” He replied, voice harsh and strict.

You swallowed thickly, unsure if you should say something or not. You were starting to doubt the whole thing and part of you just wanted to leave. You didn’t want an argument to start because of you.

“I don’t want you guys to fight because of me, so I should just go. I’m sorry for intruding,” You said, gripping onto you bag tightly and making the notion of leaving.

You were stopped by both Dick and Jason, holding their arms out to stop you from going anywhere. “C’mon B, you can’t just kick her out. It’s gonna get dark out soon, if you send her out there, who knows what could happen. She’s just a kid.” Jason said, defending you on your behalf.

Silence engulfed all of you as you waited for Bruce to deliver his verdict. “You can stay the night. We’ll figure out the rest tomorrow. Get washed up, all of you, dinner’s almost ready.”

With that he took his leave, the older man following him and conversing with him. You noticed that he was wearing a suit and had perfect posture. A butler maybe?

“Well, you can borrow one of the guest bedrooms. It has a bathroom in it, you can shower, I’m sure you wanna wipe that gunk from your face,” Jason told you, gesturing to the blood on your face.

You touched your face, feeling the dried blood from earlier. “Happens so often, I’ve gotten used to it. Wait, you guys have hot water?”

“Sure do. We have our own water system,” Tim told you.

“Wow, if you guys don’t mind then,” You said.

“I’ll show you up there, get you some spare clothes,” Jason.

“I got it, Jay,” Tim spoke, giving him a smile.

He told you to follow him, leading you through the grand halls of the manor. Dick and Jason looked at each other, sharing a knowing look, their little Timmy had taken quite a liking to you. The rest of the house was just as beautiful as the the entrance part you first saw. And it was huge too, you were going to need help navigating through this place. That is if they let you stay. You followed Tim up some stairs and down a hall with multiple doors until he stopped in the middle. He opened the door and gestured for you to go inside, your room for the night. You went inside, stopping a few feet in when you saw the room. It looked like a guest room, mostly bare with just essential things inside, but still just as beautiful as everything else.

It was better than any room you’ve ever had, or anything in your life actually.

“This is your room for tonight,” Tim said, snapping you out of your daze. “I’ll leave you to it and bring you some clothes.”

He reached for the door knob, going to close the door before you stopped him. “Hey thanks.”

“Yeah, no problem,” He replied, giving you a soft smile before closing the door.

You walked over to the bed, wanting to touch the soft looking sheets but not wanting to dirty them. Instead you placed your bag down on the ground and walked over to the door on the left. Behind it stood a bathroom, completely white and clean. There was a rack with towels that looked as if they were freshly put out. The shower itself was stocked with shampoos and body wash. Whoever was keeping charge of the manor was certainly doing their job.

You turned the shower on, within seconds it started steaming up the bathroom. You felt your lips stretch into a smile, it’s been so long since you had a hot shower. You took off your clothes and hopped in, sighing in content when the hot water hit your skin. You felt your muscles start to relax, months of hardship washing off and going down the drain. It felt like heaven when you lathered up your hands with shampoo and ran them through your scalp. You scrubbed away at all the dirt and grime in your hair, it felt like you were finally able to wash off everything bad that’s happened to you.

You almost cried in that shower, the heavy weight in your heart being lifted. You’d spent months out there alone, barely surviving day and night. You had to watch out for your own back from the undead, raiders, anything that threatened your life. Some days you weren’t even sure you were going to make it, and others you were ready to give up. Sometimes you went nights without sleep, afraid that something would come in and attack.

Now, you could let your guard down, turn your back without having to worry about something creeping up. Tonight would probably be the first night you’d be able to sleep with both eyes closed. You finished up quick before turning the water off and stepping out. You grabbed a towel off the rack and wrapped it around your body, securing it. You grabbed a smaller one and laid it on the floor for your feet, drying them before leaving the bathroom.

You went back into your borrowed room, noticing a set of clothes on the bed. You walked over to it, inspecting the clothes, a t-shirt and some sweatpants. Along with that came a toothbrush, toothpaste, and a hairbrush. Another smile stretched your lips, soft and gentle as the gesture warmed your heart. You dried yourself off and changed, the t-shirt was way to big for you and hung around you like a dress. The pants were also a little too big but you were able to tie them tight around your waist.

You took the towel and dried off your hair before sitting down on the bed and running the brush through your hair. Although the shower had managed to untangle some of it, it was still pretty tangled from the days of not brushing it. You had almost forgotten how great it felt to just be able to sit down and brush your hair. There was a knock at the door that interrupted you, you set the brush down and got up to answer it. On the other side stood Tim, a warm smile on his face.

“Hey, just came to get your for dinner,” He said.

“Oh, sure! Lead the way then,” You replied, offering him a smile.

You closed the door behind you and walked next to Tim. “So I see the clothes worked out. Sorry if the shirt’s to big, it’s Jason’s. He’s the biggest one out of all of us so we figured that would be the most comfortable.”

“No, they’re great! Its feels nice to have clean clothes again.”

“I can’t imagine what its like.”

“You haven’t been out there?”

“I have but I don’t think I’ve seen what you have. I’m more of a behind the scenes kind of guy.”

“Oh yeah? Must be nice. What kind of things do you do behind the scenes?”

“I work on the tech mostly, I make a lot of gadgets that might be useful against those things… I’m also trying to look for a cure.”

“You… You really think there might be one?”

“Well I haven’t really found anything yet but there has to be. Dead people don’t just get up and start walking. Something made them like this so something must be able to stop, or at least give the remaining population a chance to fight back.”

“That’s actually pretty genius, you have the equipment to do that?”

“We do. I can show you after dinner if you’d like.”

You nodded your head, finding the idea of a cure to be amazing and you wanted to help somehow. The two of you entered a large dining hall with a long table right at the center. Seven sets of plates were set out and the others were placing food on the table. Plenty of it too, it looked as if they were going to have a feast. You almost believed it to be a normal family dinner night and you were just a guest who was invited over. If only it was true, but tonight you could let yourself believe that.


	3. Dinner With The Waynes

Tim took your hand in his to lead you to your seats, your heartbeat picking up from his gentle touch. He let go of your hand when you reached the chairs, dumbly standing there as he pulled your chair out like a gentleman. You shook yourself out of your dazed state before taking a seat, thanking him in the process. He took the seat next to you, on your right as everyone else took their own. You marveled at the food in front of you, feeling your mouth start to water. There was an array of cooked vegetables, carrots, green beans, broccoli, cauliflower, the types you haven’t had in so long. There was mashed potatoes along with gravy boat, and right in the center was roasted chicken.

You almost felt guilty for having so much food, like you didn’t deserve it somehow. Guess that’s just what happens when you teach yourself to survive off half a can of beans. Before dinner got started, you looked down and closed your eyes, saying a little thanks to the food in front of you. An old habit. Tim noticed and almost asked if you were alright before you looked back up, a glimmer in your eyes. Everyone around you started filling up their plates while you continued to stare at the food. There was so much of it you didn’t know where to start.

“You okay, {Name}?” Dick asked, noticing that you had yet to touch anything. “If you don’t like any of it, we can make something else.”

“No, no! It’s all so great, I just—There’s so much I don’t even know where to start,” You answered truthfully.

They couldn’t help but grin at your reaction, even Damian gave a smirk of his own. You looked like a little puppy, eyes twinkling in awe and mouth slightly agape.

“Eat up kid, you’re gonna need your strength,” Jason said, discreetly pushing the mashed potatoes your way.

You nodded before reaching over and filling up your plate with food. When you took that first bite, it was better than anything you’d ever had. You almost cried for the second time that night and you were afraid that this was just a dream. A figment of your imagination created so that you wouldn’t feel so lonely as you slept in the little base you made for yourself. You actually had to pinch yourself just to make sure and the pain of it told you this was real. Within minutes you found yourself smiling and laughing at the playful banter between the Waynes.

“So {Name}, tell us about yourself,” Bruce said, directing the conversation over to you.

“Uh, well what would guys like to know?” You asked, becoming slightly nervous now that all the attention was on you.

“How does a sixteen year old end up alone in this?” Bruce asked.

“Well, at the beginning of all this, my dad told me to stay put and hide out in our apartment. He went out to go find my mother who was working at Gotham General. They never came back, so being on my own it was,” You told them.

“Did you ever think about finding others?” Dick asked.

“I did but the end of the world really brought out the worst in people, so being alone was the better option,” You said. “But its okay, I’ve managed. The apocalypse’s really given me a lot of free time. I’ve caught up on all the books I’ve put aside, and I’ve gotten a few more on my scavenges.”

“You like to read?” Jason asked.

“Yeah, I do. Well more like hoard books and tell myself I’ll read them eventually,” You answered.

Jason cracked a smile. “Well, I have a huge collection myself so if you ever need more material.”

“That’s sounds great,” You replied, matching his smile with on of your own. “So, uh, can I ask what’s with the masks?”

“For protection mostly, B makes us wear them when we go out. They’re good from keeping blood off the face and they hide our faces in case of any unwanted trouble,” Dick explained.

“What were you guys doing out? I mean I can hardly imagine wanting to leave this place,” You said.

“We make a couple runs a week to get what we can, gotta keep this place going somehow,” Tim answered.

“Have you ever killed someone?” Damian spoke up.

The room fell silent and an intensity so thick it could be cut with a knife filled the air. You felt an anchor on your heart, weighing it down as the question registered in your head. Have you ever killed someone? Yes.

“Damian! You can’t just ask something like that,” Dick said, coming to your rescue.

Damian looked like he was about to argue on the subject but you spoke up first. “It’s okay. It’s a valid question. Um, I have… It’t not something I wish I had to do or something I’m proud of but I can’t take it back now.”

Silence came back again after you answered the question, and you kept your head down after. You were too afraid to look up and see how they might have been looking at you. There went your chances of staying here, they’d probably kick you out the next chance they had. You finished your meal without another word as did the others. When everyone was done, you offered to help with the dishes, wanting to do your part in thanks. Dick and Jason said they had it covered, leaving with Alfred as you came to know his name. You learned that he started working out for the family but quickly became like a family member himself.

“I can take you back to your room if you like,” Tim offered.

After what happened, being alone didn’t seem like your ideal thing to do. You’d just end up sitting in bed, thinking about the very thing you’d just manage to forget. “Actually, I think you promised to show me your work space after dinner.”

“I did promise, didn’t I. Come on then,” He replied.

You left the dining room and followed Tim as he led you around the house. You were led to a large bookshelf tucked away in a corner of the house. You gave him a look of confusion and he returned it with a smug smile of his own. He pulled on one of the books and then the bookcase pulled itself to the side. You stared an awe as an elevator appeared on the other side and Tim gestured for you to go inside.

You stepped inside the elevator, slowly and cautiously, thinking that this was somehow a trick. Tim stepped in right after and turned his back to you. Then the elevator started moving, startling you with a jolt as it went downwards. Soon enough it stopped and the doors opened up, revealing a whole new room. You stepped out of the elevator, marveling at the sight of the room.

“Um, so are you guys like secretly superheroes or something? Because this looks like an operations base,” You told him.

Tim chuckled and shook his head. “No, just, uh, rich kids with a lot of time on their hands.”

“Yeah I’ll bet,” You said, grinning widely as you continued to look around.

Tim led you over to what you assumed was the area he did his work at. There was a counter full of test tubes and beakers, multiple microscopes and slides with samples of stuff on them, a table littered with papers and notes. There was a desk with three computer monitors and a swivel chair in the middle in which Tim sat down.

“So this is where the magic happens,” You said, looking at one of the sample slides, dried blood on it.

“Yeah pretty much. I spend most of my time down here researching, looking a blood samples. Which reminds me, would you mind if I took one from you? I noticed an unfamiliar factor between all my family members and I and I’d like too see if it’s in everyone and who better but you,” He explained.

“Uh, yeah sure. I mean if it would help,” You answered.

He nodded and stood up from his chair, walking over to his lab counter and pulling something out. It was a phlebotomy kit that made you back away just the slightest. Maybe you should have thought this over, you and needles were never the biggest friends.

“Y-You meant right now?” You asked, voice slightly quivering.

“Well the sooner the better, if you don’t mind,” He answered.

“Okay, uh, yeah go for it,” You replied.

He gestured for you to sit down on a stool while he set up to draw your blood. You stared at his every movement, he pulled out three vials for your blood. The tubes only served to make you more nervous considering that was a lot of blood he was taking from you. He pulled out a needle, some small gauze pads, and that blue elastic band they tie around your arm.

“You sure you know what you’re doing?” You asked, a joking tone in your voice.

“No, not a clue,” He joked back, a grin spreading when he saw your reaction. “I’m kidding, just relax. Not a fan of needles?”

“No, not really,” You answered truthfully.

“I’ll be sure to be gentle then. Lay your arm here and make a fist,” He said.

You did as he told, watching him feel around for your vein, his touch gentle and soft. When he found it, he put on gloves before grabbing the band and tying it around your upper arms. He moved to wipe down the area he was drawing blood from and then grabbed the needle. You swallowed thickly when you saw the needle, trying to look away but you couldn’t.

“So how are you liking it here so far?” Tim asked.

You looked away and over to him, watching how he focused on your arm so delicately. “It’s all so great, I’m honestly still in awe over all of this. And you’ve all been so nice and inviting, well some more than others.”

He listened closely as you talked, inserting the needle in your arm while you were distracted. And just like he guessed, you didn’t feel the pinch of it. He cracked a smile at your words, almost making a remark about his younger brother but held back instead. It was a dick move on Damian’s part to ask a question like that, especially when you didn’t even know them.

“Don’t let Damian get to you, he’s just trying to protect us…in his own Damian way,” Tim said, connecting the last vial to the needle.

“It’s fine, I mean it was bound to come up at some point,” You replied.

“Still, it wasn’t cool of him. Alright, all done,” He stepped back and discarded the gloves.

You looked down at your arm and it was bandaged up, now realizing that you hadn’t even felt him poke you. You looked back at him in confusion and he merely smiled at you.

“Wow, didn’t even feel it,” You said.

“Yeah, figured you could use some sort of distraction from this,” He replied.

“Thanks. So, what now?” You asked.

“Now, these bad boys get placed in this state of the art refrigerator and I test them later on,” He told you. “And you should get some sleep, you look tired and believe me I know tired.”

You yawned right after he said that, slumping over slightly in your seat. “Yeah, you’re probably right.”

“C’mon, I’ll take you back to your room then,” Tim replied.

You nodded and jumped off the stood, following Tim as he took you back upstairs. It didn’t take long before you were back to your borrowed room.

“Thanks, Tim,” You said.

“No problem. If you need anything, all our rooms are down the hall and to the left,” He told you before you headed inside.

You closed the door behind you and walked over to the bed, plopping down on it. It was all so soft and plush and you almost knocked right then and there. You sighed before getting so you could properly get under the covers. You turned off the light from the night stand and settled down in your bed. It didn’t take long before you fell asleep, for once since this whole apocalypse started feeling safe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lol this took forever because my brain decided to stop working. Also might not be my best work so apologizes for that. But exciting things to come!


	4. Circus Music

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, I just wanted to say that this chapter his a minor bit of sensitive subjects. One, talking about kidnapping, no full details but it is mentioned. Two, attempted sexual assault if you read between the lines. Just wanted to warn ya in case some of you want to skim or skip those couple of parts.

There was a knock at the door that stirred you out of your sleep, but you just nestled further into your comfy blankets. It stopped and you figured whoever was at the door had left you alone. They didn’t as the knocking continued only a little bit louder this time.

“Mom, I’m tired!” You whined out.

The knocking stopped but it was replaced by a voice that wasn’t female nor motherly. “Uh, it’s Tim.”

You sat up in bed, remembering that you weren’t in your own bed nor in your own home. You were in Wayne Manor after being rescued by Jason Todd and Dick Grayson. And the person who had knocked on the door of your room was none other than Tim Drake. No, you weren’t home or in the comfort of your own bed, that wasn’t option anymore. You felt tears well up in your eyes and you wiped them away before they could drop.

“Are you okay?” You heard him ask.

“Y-Yeah, give me a minute,” You replied.

You sighed heavily and quietly before getting out of bed and walking over to the door. You opened it to see Tim standing on the other side, in a t-shirt and plaid pajama pants.

“Hey, just came to get you for breakfast,” He told you.

“Sure, just give me a second to brush my teeth,” You said.

He nodded and you turned away from him, grabbing the toothbrush and hairbrush before heading to the bathroom. You were quick to do what you need to, not wanting to keep Tim waiting. You joined his side and the two of you headed down to the dining room.

Everyone else was down there already, besides Bruce and Alfred, eating and talking amongst each other. You noticed that on the table there were pancakes and waffles, chopped up fruit, and syrup and whipped cream. If you thought dinner was grand, breakfast was just as amazing. You had to think how they were getting all this stuff, I mean fresh strawberries weren’t just lying around.

“Wow, you guys know how to go all out,” You said, taking a seat next to Tim.

“World’s ended, might as well,” Jason joked.

“Very true, but where did you guys get all of this?” You asked.

Tim handed you the plate of waffles which you took and thanked him. “Well we do have a garden out back that we take good care off. It gives us most of our fruits and vegetables. We also have a cow that we occasionally milk, other than that we go on runs to the city to get what we can.”

“You guys have a cow?” You questioned.

“Correction, I have a cow,” Damian answered.

You couldn’t help but nod in awe, they really were prepared for the end of the world. Before you started eating, you did your little thanks which was once again noticed by Tim. But he didn’t say anything, that could be a conversation for another day. You ate in silence mostly, listening to the others talk. They were mostly talking about the next runs they were going to do and what they needed this time. You tuned out when something bitterly sweet flowed through your nose: coffee. It was coming from right next to you. Tim had a mug of coffee with him, freshly brewed with a dark cream color to it.

“Is that coffee?” You asked, you never thought you’d ever see another cup again.

“It is, would you like a cup,” Tim answered.

“Yes! Please,” You replied eagerly.

“Oh god, you too?” Jason asked in a whiny tone.

You gave him a look of confusion, not sure what he meant by that. Was it a bad thing to want a cup of coffee? Tim handed you a mug full of your favorite black liquid that you hadn’t even seen him pour. The bitter aroma filled your nose and you almost sighed in delight. You took a sip, not bothering to add sugar or cream because you just couldn’t wait. And even without that, it still tasted like its own slice of heaven, warming you up inside.

“Tim practically lives off coffee. If it wasn’t for the apocalypse making him cut back, he’d be more coffee than man right now,” Dick said, explaining why Jason reacted like that.

“Bold of you to assume I’m not already,” Tim joked.

You snorted at his comment, making him grin widely. “Well you don’t have to worry about that. It’s just been so long since I’ve had a cup of coffee… might even be my last.”

You mumbled that last part to yourself, not meant for them to hear yet they did. Jason and Dick shared a look before turning to look back at you. They had news about that, after a discussion with Bruce, they came to the conclusion that you would stay. Actually it didn’t take much to convince him, especially after last night. When you answered Damian’s question, the remorse in your voice and eyes. You did what you had to to survive but that didn’t mean you should’ve. He wasn’t going to let a child go through that again, who knows what else you’d have to do out there alone.

“So kid, we have news,” Jason told you.

“Oh, okay sure,” You replied, once again confused about what all this could be about.

“You’re staying here at the manor with us,” Dick told you.

You were completely taken aback by his words, unsure of what to say. “A-Are you guys sure? I don’t want to make you guys do something you don’t want to.”

“Of course we’re sure, we’re not sending you out there alone,” Jason said.

“And you’ll never have to go through what you did ever again, or at least not alone,” Dick continued.

You felt tears well up in your eyes again and you blinked rapidly to keep them at bay. You felt a hand on your own, squeezing gently and you turned to look at Tim, a soft smile on his face. It helped calm you down but you were still completely speechless by the whole thing. You were so sure they were just going to kick you out, why wouldn’t they?

“And like promised, we’ll head over to where you’re staying to get your things. We’ll devise a plan after breakfast and head out,” Dick said.

“Yeah, that sounds great. Thank you guys so much!” You exclaimed, all of this finally setting in.

You finished up breakfast, enjoying every drop of your coffee and every bite of the fruit. You never imagined to be eating like this again, to feel normal again. Once you were done the dishes were cleared before you and the others headed to different room.

“So, first things first. Where were you hiding out?” Dick asked, pulling out a map of Gotham.

“The corner of third and main, that’s where our apartment building is,” You told them.

“Okay, that’s almost on the other side of the city but definitely doable,” He replied.

“I know my way around Gotham pretty well, pretty much memorized the whole place. When you found me, I was right here. I took this route to get there since it’s the safest; no infected, no people. And these areas, last I checked, were also empty so things go haywire we can take those,” You explained, pointing to the map as you went.

“Way to go kiddo, look at you being all resourceful,” Jason spoke up, ruffling your hair like an annoying older brother.

You pushed his hand away and playfully glared at him. “I did survive on my own for a long time you know.”

“Great, so we can take a car here, park it and walk the rest of the way. Go in, go out, we should be back to the manor by nightfall. We should have no problem between the three of us,” Dick said, grabbing the map and folding it.

“Wait, I’m coming too,” Tim spoke up.

“Woah slow your role, Timbers. You know B’s not gonna let you out there,” Jason told him.

“Look, I’ll be fine and I can help, more of us means better survival odds,” He argued.

“Wait, why can’t he go?” You asked.

“Because I don’t have a spleen, and they think if I go out there I’ll get sick and turn,” Tim explained.

“Well you know B, he doesn’t wanna risk it,” Dick added.

“We all know how you turn, the infection isn’t airborne,” He continued to argue.

“Okay fine, if you can convince Bruce, we’ll take you with,” Dick bargained.

“Deal,” Tim agreed.

After that, you all split off to get ready to go out, Tim once again escorting you back to his room before leaving. Being alone in the room made you realize that you didn’t have anything to wear. In fact, the clothes that you came here with were gone. Just as you thought that, there was a knock on the door that interrupted your thoughts. You expected it to be Tim coming to tell you he could come with or something but it wasn’t.

“Mister Alfred, hello,” You said, he was the last person you’d expect standing behind your door.

He had clothes in his hands, neatly folded and the ones you came back in with. He handed them over to you and you graciously accepted them, noticing that they were washed. “You can call me Alfred, Miss {Name}. I took the liberty of washing these for you last night, I was told you’d need them clean.”

“Then you can just call me {Name}. Thank you for washing these and give my thanks to whoever asked you to,” You replied.

He nodded before taking his leave and letting you change into your freshly washed clothes. You closed the door and walked back over to your bed, setting the clothes down. You picked up the old t-shirt you’d been wearing for a week straight, the smell of lavender hitting your nose. You brought the shirt to your face and inhaled deeply, you missed the scent of laundry detergent. All the little things that you took for granted, never thought you’d see again, here they were. Family dinners, breakfast, clean clothes, it felt so good to have that all back, even if for just a second.

You quickly changed into your clothes, the feeling of fresh clothes against your skin felt amazing. You sat down on the bed and put on your boots, lacing them up. The boots were still pretty new, you found them in an almost empty department store a couple months back. You secured your knife to your belt, the best way to keep it on you as you’ve come to learn. It was also your only defense against against the undead out there in the city. Then you put on your tactical poncho, fixing it to sit comfortable on your shoulders. You grabbed your bag and secured it around your shoulders before heading out the room. Dick said to meet by the entrance door, let’s hope you remember where it is.

On your way there, you ran into Tim who looked geared up to go out side. He looked pretty pretty prepared with a bo staff in head and a utility belt filled with who knows what around his waist. He was wearing a mask similar to Dick’s but still it was designed differently. Around his neck was a half a black ski mask probably to cover his mouth out there. He was wearing a black bomber jacket that looked a little too big on him but it was kind of cute. A red shirt underneath, black pants and heavy duty combat boots.

“I’m guessing you have the go ahead to come with us,” You said.

“Yup, as long as I keep this on,” He replied, pulling at the ski mask.

That smirk on his face told you he was gonna do just the opposite of that. You shook your head but didn’t say anything, wanting to see if that played out anyway.

“Well, I’m glad you’re coming with… you know because of the extra manpower,” You told him, regretting the fact that you had to explain why.

You probably sounded like an idiot, of course that’s the reason he volunteered to come with. “Of course, glad I could be of help.”

When you got to the entrance of the Manor, Dick was already there. “So B actually agreed to let you come with, huh.”

“More or less,” Tim replied, shrugging his shoulders.

“Where’s Jason?” You asked.

“He went to bring the car around, should be back soon,” Dick answered.

And just as he said that, a car horn startled the three of you, signaling Jason was outside with the car. Dick opened the door and gestured for you and Tim to head out while he locked the door behind him. You hopped into the backseat, Tim joining you as you waited for Dick. Once he got in, Jason started the car and drove off to the city.

“So, how does one lose their spleen?” You spoke up, making conversation.

“Well… I was kidnapped a few years ago. Crazy ex-employee of Wayne Enterprises, wanted revenge against Bruce because he was laid off. It had nothing to do with Bruce or us but he didn’t see it that way,” Tim explained.

You couldn’t see his face since it was covered so you couldn’t tell what he was thinking. You remembered that, one of Gotham’s worst days. The guy had broadcasted it, rambling about something and occasionally hitting Tim. You remember seeing him, sitting tied up to that chair, bleeding from his face. The guy had actually zoomed in on it and laughed about like a sadistic animal. You felt shitty for asking now, you’d thought it was from a bad sports injury or something, not from that time.

“I remember that, a few years ago. The news had said you were okay, just some cuts and bruises that would heal with a couple days of rest.… I’m sorry for asking,” You replied.

“You didn’t know, besides Bruce told the media I was fine, to get them off our back. I was in the hospital for a week before I was out.”

You felt guiltier for bringing the subject up, hoping that you didn’t bring back any bad memories. He saw the distress on your face and reached for your hand. With his other hand, he took off the mask cover his mouth to reveal the gentle smile on his face. His way of further reassuring it was fine and he was okay now. You looked down at your hands laced together, his warm skin against yours. You expected your heart to be hammering against your chest but not this time. This time you felt more relaxed, maybe because of the fact that he was trying to comfort you.

You were in the city before you knew it, Jason parking somewhere secluded where the car could be easily hidden. You hopped out, making sure you had everything with you. You watched as Jason loaded his guns and Dick secured his sticks.

“So, do those actually work against the undead?” You questioned, a slight teasing tone in your voice.

“They work plenty,” He replied, a wry smile stretching your lips.

“Okay, sure. I’ll take your word for it,” Your teasing continued.

He shook his head before his smile turned into a smirk, he pointed one of them at you. You gave him a look of confusion before jumping away when an electric charge almost hit you. You heard a chuckle come from behind Jason’s mask, earning a glare from you.

“Alright I stand corrected,” You managed to squeak out.

Once everyone’s ready, you start making the journey to your apartment. So far everything was fine, no problems along the way, you managed to get through safely. You were only a few blocks away, with you leading them the rest of the way since you knew the route better. You were stopped a block away when you noticed a couple of dead roamers. You pointed them out to everyone, reaching for your knife to jump and kill them. But before any of you could jump into action, Tim stopped you and reached for something in his belt.

Whatever he grabbed, he threw it the opposite way of them, a small explosion sound filling your ears. The sound attracted them and they started walking that way. While they were distracted, you sneaked past them, glad you didn’t have to kill any. They just drain away energy trying to fight them off and kill them.

You reached your apartment building safely, the front door had been broken off and most of the place was ravaged. It was honestly a miracle that you had managed to survive there for so long. Your apartment was all the way up on the third floor. You led them up there, coming in front of your door and unlocking it with a key you kept in your bag.

You stepped inside, the others following behind and taking a look around. It looked fairly normal, there was clean looking kitchen and a small living room up ahead. There was a hall to the left that probably had rooms and a bathroom. But it didn’t seem like you were sleeping there since the living room looked set up like a camp ground. The couch had blankets and pillows which indicated you were sleeping on it. There was a coffee table pushed against the baloney window, stacked with a couple books and empty cans.

“I just need to grab clothes and a few other things,” You said.

“Yeah, take your time,” Jason replied.

You went down the hall and into your room where you kept most of your things. You had plenty of clean clothes since you stopped worrying about changing everyday a long time ago. You stuffed a few good changes of clothing into your bag, enough to survive on. If you needed more clothes you can go scavenge later.

“So you sleep out there?” You heard Tim ask, standing by your doorway as he looked around.

Your room looked like the typical teenage girl, posters on the wall of things you like. There was a huge drawer pushed up against your wall, with a mirror that was shattered. Pieces of glass shattered on top of your things, he could only imagine what happened here. Maybe you got angry at some point during this, threw a brush against the mirror. Your bed was stripped of its blankets and sheets, probably the ones you were using in the living room.

“Yeah, figured sleeping in the living room was better. Easy access of getting out in case of emergency or easily spot other survivors,” You answered from your closet, stuffing some shoes into another bag.

What you said was true, you just wished you didn’t have to learn it the hard way. Your room was where it happened, when you killed someone. Two guys broke in, looking to raid your home for supplied and whatnot. One of them found you sleeping in your room, probably saw you lying there and had something in mind. You woke up just in time and started fighting back, fighting for your life since something else turned into trying to kill you. He had thrown you against against your mirror, that’s how it shattered and you used one of the shards to stab him in the eye. You had a scar on your hand from holding the shard so tight, it cut through you too.

The guy he was with came into your room, saw his friend dead and you standing over him. He fled before you ever got the chance to do anything to him. And he managed to take a good chunk of the food you scavenged so hard for. Since then you could hardly step foot in your room unless you absolutely needed to. You finished up in your room before heading back out in the living room. You put your books in the bag with your shoes and some other things. A couple of pictures of you, your brother and parents, the few things you still cherished.

“Okay, I’m all good,” You told them, slinging the bags around your bag.

“You sure, we can help carry if you want to bring some other things,” Dick said.

You shook your head. “No, that’s okay. I have everything I need.”

He nodded in okay and you all headed out, you took one last look at the place. All the memories you made here, with your parents, your brother, gone. You sighed lightly before looking away and following the others. The way back should be quick and painless now that everyone memorized the route. And it was, until about halfway when loud music started playing nearby. Circus music. It startled the four of you and you began running, on high alert for anything. The dead started coming out of hidden corners of the city and all of you started slashing and fighting to try and get away.

But it was too late, so many of them came out that you were quickly starting to get surrounded. You ran down an alley way to get away only for the other side to be filled with them. You were surrounded and the only thing now was to try and fight your way out. But even then it didn’t look like you’d make it out alive. Every time you knifed one down, another was right there to take it’s place. Your clean clothes were once again being splattered in blood and you were thankful your hood was covering your face. You were growing tired as you fought against them, and you could tell everyone else was too. Eventually Jason would run out of bullets and Dick out of battery. There wasn’t anything Tim had in his belt that could help, or at least not against a horde this big. You might actually die out here.

“Hey, dumbasses!” You heard someone shout.

You could see through gaps someone in the alley where you came from, a girl. You pointed her out, how she was gesturing for you to make your way over to her. You all cleared a path, just enough to get over there, following her as she ran deeper into the alley. She stopped, climbing up a ladder on the side of the building, shouting for you to follow along. Jason pushed you and Tim forward for you to go first while he and Dick took care of the horde. Tim helped you up the ladder before following along, you climbed as fast as you could, just right behind the girl.

You reached the roof and practically threw yourself over, sitting up to see if the others made it. They did, all lying on the rooftop, panting heavily. You turned to look at whoever rescued you, a girl older than you with red hair and sharp blue eyes.

“Babs?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Like I said, exciting things to come >:^) I mean circus music? Wonder who that could be. Oh and apparently Babs too? Things are about to get good!


	5. Reunion

You looked over at Dick who’d been the one to call out to the woman, watching him scramble up to his feet. He rushed over to the woman he called Babs, her sharp gaze softening when she saw him. The look in her eyes said she knew who he was. He brought her into an embrace, hugging her close to him as if afraid she’d disappear. And she hugged back just as tight, burying her head in the crook of his neck. You couldn’t help but smile at the scene, nowadays it was a miracle to find your loved ones safe and profoundly sound.

He pulled away, hands flying up to hold her face, almost like he was checking to make sure it was really her. “You’re alive! H-How?”

“Not here, c’mon I’ll take you inside,” She replied.

Dick looked over at the three of you and motioned for you to follow her. No sooner did Jason and Tim jump up to their feet before two hands came into your line of sight. One belonging to Jason and the other was Tim’s. You reached out and grabbed both, letting them pull you up to your feet. The three of you followed behind Dick and the woman, Babs. She led you to the rooftop door, opening the door and heading inside.

She led you down the stairs of the building, down four flights before heading down a hall. She stopped at a door, standing right in front before knocking in a specific rhythm. A few seconds after that, the door was thrown open and another woman stood behind it. She looked older than you, about Jason’s age with pin straight black hair that reached just below her jaw and dark almond shaped eyes. They narrowed slightly at the sight of your group but she moved out of the way nonetheless.

Babs entered the apartment and motioned for the rest of you to follow. You followed right after Jason with Tim at the back, sticking close to you. You looked around the fairly large apartment, checking out the set up of the place. It looked well kept, as far as you could tell from the kitchen and living room. You noticed two more people in the living room, a boy and a girl that looked your age. The boy had dark brown skin, short hair in an almost buzz-cut style, and piercing brown eyes. He was standing with his arms crossed, clearly not inviting but not threatening either.

You looked over at the girl, pale skin, shining blonde hair and narrowed blue eyes. Her posture was more open and friendly but still on alert just in case. She looked familiar, those blue eyes staring back at you, slowly widening. Yours did the same as you figured out who she was and soon you were rushing through to get to her. Everyone looked at the two of you, unsure of whether to stop you or let this carry out. Their choice was made for them as the two of you met and you threw your arms around her.

“Steph! You’re alive, oh my god, you’re alive,” You cried out, clinging to her.

She hugged you back just as tight as you did, and you let the tears that had been building up burst through. Your newfound friends continued to watch the scene, wondering who you were to each other. Close friends? Girlfriends maybe? You pulled away, Steph’s hands reaching up to your face, wiping away tears even though her own were cascading down her cheeks.

“I-I thought you were dead, I tried calling that day but you never answered. I wanted to go look for you but my dad told me to stay inside,” You rambled out.

“It’s okay, my parents told me to do the same. They never came home. I wanted to look for you too but I didn’t know,” She replied.

“No, no, it’s okay. We’re here now. God, I’m so happy to see you,” You said.

“So I take it you two know each other?” Jason spoke up, a hint of joking in his voice.

Suddenly remembering that there were others in the room, you took a step back from Steph. Your cheeks flushed from embarrassment of letting other people see you cry. You wiped away the rest of your remaining tears before turning to look at your group.

“Y-Yeah, we do. Steph’s been my best friend since like forever,” You told them.

“Well, besides the massive hoard of zombies out there, I’d say today’s been a good day,” Dick said.

“How do you two know each other?” You asked, pointing between him and Babs.

“We used to date, a long time ago,” He explained briefly. “I didn’t know if you made it. Which reminds me, how exactly? We tried reaching Gordon the day it all started, but we never got through. You never answered either.”

“I suppose we should introduce each other and then sit down and catch up,” She replied.

After agreeing, she introduced you to the other two in the room. The girl with the short black hair was Cassandra Cain, Cass for short and she didn’t talk much. The boy was introduced as Duke Thomas who was then recognized by Tim. His mom was the social worker that helped Bruce officially adopt Tim, he’d only met him once at the party that was thrown once the adoption papers had gone through. Duke recognized him as well, since they pretty much hung out with each other that day because they were the only ones there who were the same age.

Babs introduced herself to you as Barbara Gordon, daughter of Commissioner Gordon. Steph introduced herself to everyone else as well, Stephanie Brown, your best friend since you were in diapers. After they introduced themselves, your little group did the same.

“So how did you all end up together?” Dick asked.

“Luck mostly. When this all started, I called my dad, he was still down at the station. He picked up but we only talked for about a minute before I heard screaming and gunshots. I got worried so I grabbed one of the guns he kept in his safe and went down to the station. It was… a complete nightmare in there. Everyone was running around, there were gunshots, a bunch of those things, zombies, eating whoever they could get their hands on. I found my dad but he told me to go home, said he’d be right behind me. That was the last time I ever saw him.

On my way home, I found Cass, she was surrounded by them. It was insane, I didn’t know what they were back then, I just knew they weren’t human. The way they were trying to grab at her, I shot one, in the chest and it just kept going. I saved Cass and took her with me, she said she didn’t have anywhere else to go. We decided to wait it out, then the military started rolling in. I thought this would all be over soon but it wasn’t. We stayed in my apartment until we started running out of food and then decided to go out and scavenge. We saw how the city was just pretty much deserted, only the dead roaming around,” Barbara explained, a slight sullen look on her face.

“I came across Babs and Cass a few months after everything fell apart, we were scavenging in the same place. I was alone and she asked if I wanted to come with them. Safety in numbers you know. We found Duke about a month later and we’ve just been staying here, surviving however we can. We boarded up the exists, take turns going out to scavenge. As far as things go, we’ve been doing pretty good,” Steph continued. “What about you?”

“Well I was at home, didn’t know where else to go. When this all started, I was at home with my dad, mom got called into the hospital. We saw the news, all the chaos, the shootings, people rioting on the streets. We got a call from my mom, said she was going to be home late, then we heard gunshots. My dad got worried, told me to stay put and rushed to get my mom. They never came home,” You turned your head away, wiping a tear that fell. “Been alone since, then I met Jason after he saved me from a zombie and they took me in. We came to get stuff my apartment, everything was going fine until the music.”

“By the way, what the hell was that all about?” Jason asked.

“Right, out of all the times we’ve been out here, we’ve never heard that,” Dick stated.

“Yeah, neither have I,” You agreed.

“Wait, really? You guys have never heard the circus music?” Duke asked.

You all shook your head simultaneously, that was the first time anything like that’s ever happened to you. You heard Steph exhale heavily and Babs had this worried look on her face that only made you antsy. So it was definitely something you should be worried about.

“We call them the rogues,” Babs spoke up. “A group of survivors that are unhinged and cruel. They use the zombies for their benefit, using the music to guide them towards whatever direction they want. We haven’t come across them personally, thank god, but we’ve seen what they can do. They take people, at first we thought they were safe, that they had a camp set up to help survivors.”

“We followed them, Babs and I, during one of our runs, scope out the place to see if it was safe or not. They did have a camp, hiding behind the fences of the Ace Chemicals facility. But it was a gruesome horrible sight, they had zombies pinned to the fences. They played with them, electrocuting and poking at them like it was some game. The worst was what they were doing to the people, it was awful,” Duke continued, grimacing as he spoke.

“Leave it to the apocalypse to make people show their true colors. Who’s their leader?” Tim questioned.

“We don’t know exactly, whoever he is, he’s pulling the strings from the inside,” Babs answered.

“Well shit, we gotta get the hell out of here. And you’re all coming with us,” Jason said.

“Yeah, and once we get back to the manor, we’ll tell Bruce about what’s happening. Try to figure out some place to go or something. Get away from all of this before they find us,” Dick agreed.

“I mean yeah, that sounds great but it’ll take at least the night for them to disperse,” Steph replied.

“There’s gotta be away to go around them right now, B’s waiting for us. We told him we’d be back by nightfall,” Tim told them.

You felt guilty, they were only out here because of you and you’d be damned if they didn’t make it back by tonight. A hand grabbed yours and gave it a firm squeeze, prompting you to look at the boy sitting beside you. He had a worried look on his face, noticing the look of guilt on your face.

“Are you okay?” He asked softly.

“Yeah, just thinking,” You replied.

You looked over at the other’s, noticing the look Steph was giving you. It was her ‘you like someone’ look that she’d give you back in school. You ignored it before listening in to Barbara and Dick talk about getting out of here. They brought out a map, Babs pointing out where the horde was at the moment. It was completely cutting off the route you all needed to take to get to the car.

“Shit,” Jason sighed.

“Sorry guys, but looks like you’ll be staying the night,” Babs said.

“Well let’s just hope B doesn’t throw a fit tomorrow,” Dick replied.

“I’m sorry guys, its my fault we got in this mess. I should have done this alone,” You said, shrinking back into your seat.

Jason, Dick, and Tim turned to look at you like you were crazy. “Woah, hey, don’t say that.” Dick said.

“We offered kid, this isn’t on you,” Jason followed.

“Yeah, there was no way you were going out here alone. I mean, if you were out here alone during this, who knows what would’ve happened. You could’ve been killed or worse, taken by the rogues,” Tim told you, clear worry on his face.

You chewed on your lip and looked down, knowing full well that they meant what they said. But still, you couldn’t help feel this way. A warm hand found its way to your cheek, Tim’s warm hand, and raised your head. You were staring directly into his icy blue eyes, his eyebrows furrowed and a slight frown on his face; you hadn’t noticed him take off his mask

“This is not your fault, okay? Besides, we’re safe now. We’ll wait this out tonight and go home tomorrow,” He said.

“Okay,” You replied softly. Your heart jumped at the way he said that, home, as if the manor had been a a place you’d always belonged at.

Dick jumped into making a plan of action, wanting to leave as soon as possible. He changed the direction of which you came from, claiming it would be more hidden from both zombie and human. It made sense, they were back alleys, not to mention the route was wonky so it’d be hard to track through. Everyone agreed with that plan, it was solid and safe plan.

“You guys should start packing up your things so we can leave as soon as possible,” Dick instructed.

“We will, after dinner,” Babs replied.

As if on cue, you felt your stomach rumble and heard the ones of your friends. Babs laughed lightly before getting up. “Well, guess its time to start dinner.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Here’s chapter 5, sorry it took a while I lost my writing mojo. But anyway, we have officially brought in more Batfam and the rogues. You know what that means! Death >:^). Lol a whole lotta drama about to start because its the rogues. Also, sorry if some of the characters might seem ooc, still working on their personalities and fitting them into an post-apocalypse setting.


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